The Jack of Hearts
by The Real Jack of Hearts
Summary: Jack is an ordinary Valuan thief. His life changes forever when his petty thievery finally catches up with him in the form of a female bounty hunter hell bent on revenge. Finding the blue rogue within himself along the way, Jack embarks on an epic quest.
1. A Kiss in the Moonlight

A Kiss in the Moonlight

Chapter1

Sitting at the window, she realized her time was running out. The deadline was twelve o'clock midnight, and it was already going on ten. Still, she kept her eyes poised on the door across the alley down below.

A few minutes went by when a rat came skittering out from behind a wooden crate into the moonlit alleyway–probably looking for food–and began rummaging through the garbage that littered the ground beside an old rusted trash can not far from the exit door she was watching. She watched the little nuisance for what seemed like an eternity, giving out a bored sigh eventually.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a cat pounced onto the rodent, subduing it instantly. Just as it began to toy with its dinner, the sound of another feline's meow could be heard in the distance. The attacking cat looked up from its prize hearing the call, and then quickly picked the rat up in its mouth and scampered off with it back into the darkness from whence it came. She watched in amusement as the feline carried its dinner back into the shadows where it could eat without disruption. "Just like bounty hunting," she said quietly to herself with a bit of a grin tracing her lips.

The distraction was long enough that she nearly missed seeing the door open down below. Even a cat knows not to lose track of its prey, just like professional bounty hunters do not allow themselves to be distracted from their targets; this was especially true of bounty hunters of her caliber. Her name: Piastol–otherwise known as "_The Angel of Death_." Her profession: Bounty Hunting. It might not have been the life she had always dreamed of having, but she was good at killing, especially when it came to killing pirates; they were the lowest form of man in her opinion.

Piastol was hired by a rich wealthy Valuan man living in Upper City just a few weeks before. Normally she relied on the bounties posted in the sailors guilds, but this was a special case. Her employer was right when he came to her under the notion that she was the greatest of all the bounty hunters, and his offer was just too good to pass up. She would be rewarded with all the treasures the man possessed _if _one particular item that a notorious thief, "_Jack of Hearts_" had stolen from his daughter was returned.

She cared nothing about the man or his family. Her only concern was the treasure that was to be rewarded for the return of the heirloom as well as the thief's head. They preferred it best if she brought him in alive, though. The poor bastard probably wouldn't survive much longer after that she figured.

A rumbling in her stomach made her remember just why she needed the money too. She barely had any gold left even before she took the job. Now she was doing without.

She would have watched the feline bounty hunter longer had her target not been getting away. Nevertheless, this was her time to strike. Piastol burst through the window, scythe in hand. Doing a somersault in the air, she landed in front of her target, shattered glass falling all around her. Once the fragments of what was once a window above them had settled, she raised her head to make eye contact with Jack. Jack: her bounty; _her_ prize; he was the solution to all her problems.

Now as for Jack, while not being a physically strong person, he more than made up for that weakness with his wits. However, he still knew when he was outclassed in a fight, and also knew when to run. This was a perfect example of when to run, but her eyes froze him in his place. Beauty and blades are a lethal combination, not that Jack didn't know this.

Before the thought of moving had even occurred to him, Piastol lunged at Jack with alarming ferocity, but being sly like Jack was, he dodged the swing of Piastol's scythe by instinct. She was not content with letting him get away from her so easily it would seem, because the heel of her boot slammed into his chest directly after, causing Jack to take a few staggering steps backward into the crates the rat had come out from earlier.

Jack looked up from his daze just in time to see Piastol's scythe careening downward from over her head. He rolled out of the way, desperately trying to avoid the wrath of his mystery attacker. While it was good that Jack still had a head on his shoulders, he had made a terrible mistake. Now he was backed into a corner with no way out. The thought of cowering, to beg for mercy, entered his mind, but he was too petrified with fear by her intimidating eyes.

They were dark, beautifully cold, glistening steel blue eyes that reflected the rare occurrence of the silver moon through a hole in the thick clouds up above them perfectly. These didn't seem to be the eyes of a killer; but, he had been wrong before. His heart might have raced if he didn't know her aim was to kill him.

After the initial shock of being attacked so randomly wore off, Jack said in a surprisingly calm fashion, "What? Are you too good to introduce yourself before you murder someone? _Sheesh_." Jack might not have been the most handsome man you've ever seen, but he knew how to get any girl's attention; he was a womanizer to say the least. In this case, however, it took a lot to maintain his fearless attitude, terrified as he was.

Piastol knew she had him cornered, and she knew that letting him speak was pointless. One thing about Piastol that was a weakness, though, was that she was arrogant. She wanted to hear this man–this pig–squeal! Just like the cat from before, she would toy with her prey; have her fun with it, before the kill. Smiling evilly, Piastol lowered her weapon of death to her side and said, "Know that these will be your last words, so choose them well,_ thief_."

"_She's as lethal as she is conceited. That sounded rehearsed_," he thought to himself while celebrating his good luck. At least Jack had a chance now, and with that, he regained his composure. He would have to summon every ounce of his charm if he wanted to live through this.

In the most romantic voice he could muster, Jack said, "All I ask then is a last request, and you may take my head for whatever reason you desire."

Still skeptical of his intention, Piastol replied sternly, "Fine, but nothing ridiculous, and make it quick."

Once again on the inside Jack was celebrating, "Then my request is to kiss _death_ on the lips."

Taken aback by this, Piastol nearly lost her focus. Not a muscle flinched in shock to his words, but Jack was sure she was. In fact, he knew it; her eyes gave her away. It was the perfect opportunity to sway this whole encounter to his favor. For some reason, Jack had a knack for getting himself out of tight situations like these. Some people considered his skills to be of another magic.

In an obviously sarcastic tone, Jack said, "Someone as skilled as you must have the compassion to grant a lowly thief like me one... final... request. Don't worry; you can trust me, because I would _die_ to kiss someone as beautiful as you."

Piastol could feel him gaining more confidence with every word. She wasn't sure what to say back to this. This time her voice had lost a lot of its might. "N-no," she stuttered, "I just told you nothing ridiculous."

Hiding his grin, Jack shot back at her while raising an eyebrow, "Ridiculous? A kiss could not be farther from it." Adding a condescending tone to his voice, he followed up with, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever been _kissed_ before?"

Piastol's face flushed in anger, she couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. No one had ever spoken to her like this in years. In all of Arcadia, there was not a soul that didn't at least get a shivering feeling down their spine after hearing her name. However, this "_Jack of Hearts_" seemed to shrug off the fear tactic that worked so well on everyone else.

"I've been kissed before..." she lied. "What an idiotic question. Did you really believe I would ever agree to something so _repulsive_?" With each sentence, she began losing more and more confidence, and the lower it got the higher Jack's rose. She became aware of his grin getting bigger with each attempt she made to deny the truism he had just given her.

Outraged by his insolence, she exclaimed, "The only _kiss_ you'll be getting is the kiss of dea–"

Realizing now that he had her in the palm of his hand, Jack said cutting her off, "Oh really? I don't believe you. Your hands are shaking."

Indeed he was right. Piastol wasn't feeling like herself now. This man was challenging her on a level she had never experienced before. She didn't know what to make of it. In a moment of confusion, she let her guard down.

Taking full advantage of the moment, Jack grabbed Piastol in his arms and gave her the most romantic kiss he could possibly give her, pursing lips against defiant lips. He could feel every ounce of surprise pulsing through her body. This would be an experience she would never forget.

Now, Piastol didn't gain her strength from her physical shape, in fact, she was very slim. She had gained her reputation with her skills using the Scythe. It was no wonder she had become associated with the _Angel of Death_, but her frail body didn't stand a chance against his in terms of raw power.

Piastol began to struggle to break free of his hold, but his arms remained wrapped around her paralyzed frame. She wished desperately for her body to cooperate with her, but it was futile. Jack had pushed her beyond her limits of comprehension, causing her body to shutdown without warning. After a few seconds, it was all she could do to simply give in and accept it, so she relaxed in his hold and embraced the kiss. Piastol could feel the grip she had on her weapon beginning to slip from her grasp. If this were to be her first kiss, she figured, then she wanted it to be a good one. Momentarily, her blade slipped out of her fingers and fell to the ground, where the echo of the clank it made could be heard throughout the alley.

Once there was no more resistance, and a little time had passed by, Jack released his grip on her arms as well as her lips. He could tell that this young woman was dumbfounded to the point that he could just walk away without her lifting a finger in objection, but Jack wasn't ready to leave just yet. He wanted to hear his attacker admit to her lie.

It was only then that he realized just exactly what weapon lay on the ground beside her. For some reason, Jack felt that it should mean something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He always hated it when he got feelings like these, because he knew there was always a reason for them.

Eventually, Piastol snapped out of her daze, shaking her head to get rid of the lingering feelings Jack had just forced upon her. Instead of what was expected, her expression changed from uncertainty to rage. She couldn't believe that she had just let some lowly _thief_ rob her of her first kiss. Grabbing her scythe off the ground, Piastol raised her weapon above her head. The thief got his disgusting last request, now it was time to finish the job.

This time, her eyes weren't the cold steel blue eyes Jack had just been acquainted with. They were fearsome, confident, focused eyes. Jack couldn't believe how stupid he had just been. He realized now that he had just cheated himself out of his own life.

Piastol started to swing her blade, hesitated for a second, but went ahead and delivered the blow, but she had done something that she should never do; she closed her eyes. Her swing wasn't miscalculated, but it offered Jack the chance to dodge her. So, being one to never pass up an opportunity, he did.

That moment's hesitation was all Jack needed to duck the blade. Her scythe missed his head by no less than an inch, and before she could react, he shoved her into a pile of garbage near the door of the building he had just exited from only moments ago. This allowed Jack the precious amount of time he needed to escape. Piastol, in complete rage, got back up on her feet and darted after him. The chase was on.


	2. Chapter 2

The New Plan Chapter 2 

Late at night, and out in the clouds of Arcadia, there soars a vessel. The air in the moonlit sky is its' ocean, and its destination is Crescent Isle, the second home to the Blue Rogues. The Delphinas is a very large iron-clad ship that stays afloat due to the power of moon crystals that fall from the six moons up above. This is Vyse's ship, and he is the legendary captain of the Blue Rogues. He stands at the wheel looking through his signature skyseer goggles at the chart on the wall beside himself discussing the mission the Blue Rogues will soon be undertaking. With him are his first and second mates Aika, and Fina. Also, a close friend and fellow adventurer, Gilder accompanies the group.

Blue Rogues, not to be confused with Black Pirates, are pirates none the less. They are the defenders of only themselves, but they are not without compassion for others. They are even known to show mercy on defeated Black Pirates, and even the crews of the Valuan armada.

The white flag with a blue skull, wings, and two crossed swords defines these sailors of the sky. Though small in number, they grow larger with each passing day. This makes them an even larger threat to the Valuan Empire, the people of the Yellow moon, and the most powerful race of people in all of Arcadia.

"We'll need to regroup and take the Claudia to get back into Valua without the entire armada breathing down our necks," Vyse said with a bit of a smirk. He was sure Gilder wouldn't mind risking the fact that he'd be having someone with such a high bounty on his head riding on his ship right into Valua; a death wish for anyone that wasn't prepared. If they were captured, it would be a heavy blow to the morale of the Blue Rogues, but Vyse wasn't the kind of man that would run away from the barrel of a cannon pointed in his face. Then again, that's why he was made captain. The second captain of the Dyne family.

Fina spoke up with her soft voice as she often did when she was concerned. "Are you sure this is wise? There must be other places we could go to recruit more Blue Rogues that wouldn't involve such a risk"  
"We need to find more people who are willing to join us in our cause, and most of them are right there in Lower City. Right now, we're making a difference with what we've got, and we'll only become stronger if we can get more support. Fina, I know you're worried, but believe me, there are more people that need our help than I can count, and we can't be there to help them all if we don't strengthen our numbers a little."

As Vyse stood there reasoning with Fina, Gilder and Aika watched in awe. Vyse had come a long way in the eyes of his crew members. Aika could still remember when Vyse was still just learning how to use a cutlass. Gilder who may have only just joined the crew a month ago, was impressed with the level of maturity Vyse had arisen to in such a short time.

"Hahaha, Fiiina, relax," Gilder said confidently, cutting Fina off before she could object again. "Vyse knows what he's doing. Besides, I've got your backs too ya know," he said as his pistol whipped around his finger a few times before he holstered it again.

Aika was quick to agree. "He's right, and besides, the Valuans don't pay any attention to Lower City. If we stay down there, we wont even be noticed."

Fina was outnumbered in this argument, and so gave a sigh of defeat. She had only joined the Blue Rouges only weeks before Gilder, but was already one of the most respected members of the crew, though she found it hard at times to justify such claims given her current failure to sway Vyse into making a more rational decision as just one example. Rational wasn't really the word for it though, she realized. "Safer," she concluded to herself. As the Delphinas docked in the secret haven of Crescent Isle, the crew members of the Claudia who were also Blue Rogues, came to greet their own captain, as well as Vyse while the crew came down the ramp.

"Ready my ship," Gilder said in his own athoritive, and yet, still retaining respect for his crew kind of way,"we'll be leaving for Valua first thing tomorrow."

"Yessir," said the first mate as he gave a salute.

"So Vyse," Gilder began as the group headed for their quarters,"how many do you think we'll recruit? The Claudia isn't nearly as large as the Delphinas ya know." Gilder's words didn't really fit his character. They lacked the intensity Vyse was used to, and so, he had to assume that Gilder was just making small talk before they departed again. But it wasn't like Vyse to simply ignore a question from a friend, or a crew mate for that matter.

"I doubt too many will have the courage we're looking for, but we're running out of places to find people. If we can convince that many to join," he said in reference to the size of Gilder's ship, "well, it'll be a good day for the Blue Rogues."

"You can just leave the female recruits to me. I have a way with the ladies ya know."

"That must explain why all the crew members of the Claudia are women," Vyse said with a grin.

Slapping his hand on Vyse's back, Gilder let out a howl of laughter. "Now I remember why I joined up with you guys. You can really make light of anything." Even though he was very amused with the joke, Gilder still couldn't help but be envious of the fact that Vyse's first and second mates were Aika and Fina.

Vyse and Aika had been friends since they were children, and Fina...Fina was a special case. Although Gilder didn't know too much about Fina in particular, he was aware that she had come into their lives from a completely unknown place, much like Gilder himself. Not that he had had anything to hide.

Fina didn't even know where she had come from it seemed at one point, but eventually she did let on to her bluff as she got to know and trust the Blue Rogues more. Finally, after a time, she confessed the truth, and even filled them in on a little more history of Arcadia. It was pretty shocking how much she would say when she had something to talk about.

She was one of the last remaining Silvites, who were beings directly linked to the silver moon. Before, when the lands of Arcadia were as one, the people under each of the six moons flourished with prosperity. However, the Silvites developed a technology that harnessed the power of the silver moon in a single gem, a gem that brought forth an all powerful creature known as a Gigas. The people of the other moons became jealous of the power the Silvites possessed, and soon created their own moon gems to summon their own powerful Gigas.

Each of the other six peoples became more jealous and fearful of the others power that each possessed, but all agreed that the Silvites were the real threat. They each sent their Gigas' to do battle with the Silvites, as well as with the Silver Gigas. Outnumbered, the Silvites were all but destroyed, but this did not settle the fears of each of the remaining peoples. One by one, they each turned on each other. The destruction that ensued put an end to the age of prosperity and peace.

In the midst of the hellish battle, as if the six moons were punishing the people of Arcadia, thousands of moon stones came crashing down into the land. The cities, the peoples, and perhaps even the remaining Gigas' could not withstand the force of the impacts. Even though the Gigas' were invincible creatures, the moon gems that controlled them were lost in the destruction, and so without masters to control them, they returned to the ground beneath them.

After the fires died out and the smoke settled, what was left of each of the remaining races of people could see that they were no longer on one large continent. There was no more sea of water surrounding them, but clouds below the floating islands that he knew today. Whether it was all true or not, Gilder didn't know, but how could such a pretty face lie to him?


	3. Chapter 3

The Heirloom 

Chapter 3

Panting, Jack looked over his shoulder. He had been running the back alleys of Lower City for an hour now. She was nowhere to be seen, or heard for that matter. He could swear that the scythe wielding maniac was breathing down his neck around every turn he made. Jack ducked behind an old rusty dumpster in the darkness just as a little extra cover for himself. It allowed himself time to rest and to think. He peeked around the corner he had just come from, still finding it hard to breath. The coast was clear for now, so he relaxed a little and ducked back into hiding. "For an insane bounty hunter, she was a looker," he said to himself after catching his breath.

Wondering how long he should lay low before he started moving again, Jack's stomach started rumbling. "Damn," he thought. All that running had given him a big appetite. He was too good to consider eating something out of the garbage, but he was too afraid to start moving again. "She could be anywhere right now," he thought to himself. Suddenly the wind started to blow, and it seemed that everything went quiet, save for one sound. Clank...clank...clank. Hearing this, Jack froze in place. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Had she really tracked him this far? Why was she after him anyway? Sure, he had stolen many things, but nothing he thought warranted a bounty. Jack could see her in his mind's eye walking calmly with her scythe tapping the ground every other step. She really knew how to intimidate him. No, she was toying with him. This had turned into a game of Cat and Mouse.

The pace of the clanking never changed. After a time, Jack realized it wasn't getting any louder or softer either. Suspiciously, Jack very carefully peeked over the dumpster. Halfway down the alley a window shutter was banging against a wall in the wind. He fell over in all of his relief, letting out a large sigh. How foolish Jack was to let himself be so paranoid. She couldn't have possibly tracked him this far. Why he would have to be all the way on the other side of Lower City by now. He even began to chuckle a little to himself, assured that he was finally safe.

Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing, the shutter stopped banging, and the only sound that interrupted the silence that followed was a voice. An all too familiar voice that had once been the voice of just another woman, but was now the voice that inspired fear. It was a voice that haunted Jack's imagination like none other.

"Forgive me for interrupting your last moment of freedom, but I owe you an introduction." Even in the darkness, Jack's pupils grew tiny. He went dead quiet, and peered out from behind his hiding place once more. There in the alley was the silhouette of his terrifying attacker. "You can get up now, if you're done celebrating," she said triumphantly. Jack did as he was told without question. The vibe he had felt earlier was completely gone, and he couldn't imagine bringing it back now. It was as if he were dealing with someone who had two completely different personalities.

"My name is Piastol, but you can call me, "The Angel of Death"...but not for much longer," she said smiling evilly. Piastol was in complete control of her emotions this time. Jack could feel it, and he knew exactly why she was a bounty hunter now. Judging by before, he would have called her a joke. He knew now that this wasn't some elaborate trick that a buddy was playing on him. At least...he was really hoping that that's what it was... Still trying to sound confident, Jack said, "Okay Angel, you win. Just don't cut my head off, there's no need to spill blood." Surprisingly, Piastol took this into consideration. She never liked getting blood on herself, but she was also furious at him from before. Then again, she was too tired to drag his dead body all the way to the meeting place of her employer in Upper City. Usually she never hesitated in killing someone, especially one as cocky as him. The hunt for "Jack of Hearts" had taken her way longer than she thought it would. She never would have guessed it would have taken this long just to catch him. Now she would need to retrieve the heirloom, and deliver it, as well as Jack, to the agreed meeting place.

Usually she could track down a target within days, and in some cases it would take a week. Piastol never dreamed she would be late on such a simple bounty, but it would also seem she had underestimated her target. Hopefully her employer would still be waiting for her arrival, if only she were a little late. It was an ordeal just finding the taverns in this dump section of a city. He was definitely a slippery fellow. Seven taverns, and eight inns... Jack moved fast. This was only counting the taverns in Lower City too.

She figured now would be a good time to interrogate him just to figure out if he still had the item he had stolen. The heirloom was probably worth more than his head at this point, whatever it was. A yellow "object" was the only clue she was given, which seemed kinda vague considering how important it was to the employer.

"Give me the heirloom," Piastol said in an agitated voice, "and maybe I'll consider letting you live." Jack just stared for a second, began to speak, but hesitated, then said, "What heirloom?" Piastol blinked in amazement. He couldn't have forgotten already could he? Maybe he just didn't know how valuable an item he had stolen it was. No, it was a ruse to distract her again.

"The," she wasn't sure how to put it, "...yellow heirloom you stole from the nobleman's daughter you fool. Don't think you can trick me...again. What happened before isn't going to happen ever again, and if you think I'm joking you're about to find out. Now hand me the heirloom!" Jack looked confused. He knew that he'd stolen many things, but he didn't seem to know anything about an heirloom. It was almost convincing to her. Almost.

"Was it the watch off the rich man's daughter in the tavern the night before? Or could it have been the ring I stole last week out of the jewelry box when the girl wasn't looking?" "That girl was a good looker too come to think of it," Jack thought.

Piastol's scythe found its way to Jacks face, nearly cutting his nose. "Quit stalling and hand it over!" With the most sincere look on his face, Jack said,"I have absolutely no idea what this heirloom is, because it could have been a number of yellow things I have stolen. Even so, I pawn everything off that I steal just so I can eat, and a guys gotta eat ya know."

Piastol's eyebrow twitched. This man was really starting to get on her nerves, which was a surprise. This was more than any man had ever pushed her, yet she hadn't done the same thing she had done to everyone else. (Meaning that Jack's head was still on his shoulders.) Jack was starting to realize something was wrong too. His confidence started to rise again, but this time Piastol reacted to it in time. A quick jab into the gut with the butt-end of her scythe put him on his knees. "I'm thinking dammit!" It was all she could say. "Great" Jack thought,"now she can read me too." He decided it was best to cooperate. "I can show you where I pawn everything off at if that helps." Piastol couldn't believe this situation. In truth, she admitted finally to herself, these were hard times. It was the first bounty she had caught in weeks, and while the money on each bounty was good, she was running low. Some days she even went without food, which might explain why she was so powerless before. She couldn't admit that to him though. If he realized that...well, she didn't want to think about it. All Piastol knew was that she needed money, and that heirloom was her best bet at this point, not to mention Jack. He had to be worth something still. Why else would someone hire a bounty hunter over a stolen item?

After a few minutes of debating in her head, Piastol tied him up and forced Jack to lead her to the pawn shop that he had sold the item to. With any luck, it was still there. Luck wasn't something she had though, so she knew this wasn't going to be fun. Not that there was a whole lot of fun in her field of work to begin with. Jack was not only hungry and tired, but he was practically a slave now. "Why now?", he thought. Of all the times for the moons to turn on him, and to be defeated by a woman. Still, his mind returned to instinctual thoughts. How could he get away now? It was obviously foolish of her to leave him alive, and he couldn't imagine another kiss routine happening. So what now? If Piastol took him back to the main streets, he could possibly run away and get lost in the crowd. No, that wouldn't work, because she wouldn't risk that. Not now anyway. For now, Jack figured it best to bide his time and wait for a chance to escape.


	4. Chapter 4

Crescent Isle 

Chapter 4

Crescent Isle, the second home of the Blue Rogues. As far as remote pirate havens go, it was fairly large, challenging Pirate Isle in size even. Captain Dyne, Vyse's father, couldn't have been more proud the day he learned of it's creation.

The secret floating isle was hidden away, even from the eyes of the Valuan Empire. If only the Valuans knew that their greatest foe lived so close to home. In fact, Crescent Isle was nearly directly behind the fortress land. What more perfect place of refuge could there be other than directly the opposite way the enemy faced?

A clever illusion was to actually dock the Delphinas right inside the island, so that from a distance, you'd never imagine it to be a home for pirates, or even civilized people as the Valuans would put it. Yes, the inside of the island was hollow, filled with multiple chambers and passageways. Many of the Blue Rogues preferred the underground shops and forts in favor of the ones up above. Perhaps because the largest part of the island was indeed below ground.

This is not to say that there were no appealing features above ground. Like the name implied, the island was crudely in the shape of a crescent moon. At the very edge, a lake, and undoubtedly the most perfect place to get a view of the full Silver moon. At the top, the map room, no doubt it was Vyse's second favorite place in the world. (He still loved the viewing platform back home on Pirate Isle the best.) But of all the places on Crescent Isle, it was right in the very middle where it was most lively.

The flag of the Blue Rogues flapped peacefully in the wind. Most of the ever growing pirate family was asleep by the time the Delphinas had docked, but the loud rumbling that the secret underground docking platform lowering had made woke the majority. However, everything went back to normal after things quieted down again. While Vyse was still up writing in his captain's log, though he preferred to call it a journal, everyone that had just been on the Delphinas had gone to bed. Just about everyone anyway. It was well beyond late, but Aika was feeling restless in her quarters. Laying on her bed, she let her mind wonder. She wasn't worried of the dangers that awaited her in the morning, oh no. With Vyse by her side, she didn't have a fear in the world. If anything, she was excited. Even if they were only looking to recruit more members, it was thrilling to know that they'd be right there again, right in the very heart of Valua. She would grow tired soon enough, but for now, she wanted to enjoy her new home.

Hopefully it would remain her home. Aika was used to always being on the move, ever since the day she and Vyse set sails to make their own names as heroes of the Blue Rogues. The many ships they had sailed in and the many more lands they had visited were too many to keep count. It was hard to believe they had finally found a place to call home again. The story of just how Crescent Isle came to be was pretty impressive, probably even more so to her. One night, Rhacknam, a fabled enormous flying arch whale clashed with the Little Jack, Drachma's ship. Back then, Vyse, Aika, and Fina too still didn't have a ship to call their own, and so sailed the skies with Drachma. Despite how much Drachma would deny it, he loved Vyse like a son, and would let Vyse sail the ship anywhere they wanted to go. But Drachma hated Rhacknam with a passion. The evil arch whale had eaten his own son, and every time Drachma heard the call of the beast, he would give chase without concern for the well being of his crew, or himself. As fate would have it, the Little Jack was defeated in air battle.

Aika and Fina boarded one life raft, while Vyse and Drachma began boarding the other. She and Fina made it to safety, but neither Vyse nor Drachma were heard from for weeks. Devastated by their disappearance, the two girls quickly worked up the gold to buy a ship strong enough to go out and search for their friends in.

Later, it was revealed to her that Vyse had crash landed alone on a deserted island. He survived on the meat of the wild animals, and spent his time repairing the broken life raft. As for Drachma's fate, he went down with the Little Jack, never to be heard from again.

Just as Vyse had finished the repairs on the life raft, it was then that he met Gilder. The Claudia was sailing nearby, and saw the smoke coming from the fire that had just cooked Vyse's dinner. Lucky for Vyse, he was rescued before he even had to risk dying by sailing into the unknown without even a compass to guide him.

Gilder was so moved by the tale Vyse had to tell, that he decided to go with him on his quest to be reunited with his friends again. Alarmed that Gilder was so confident that he would leave it up to his own crew to decide if they would come back to find their captain, Vyse didn't know if he could be trusted.

It didn't take very long for Gilder to prove his loyalty though. His skills with the pistol proved time and again to be essential for getting them both out of hairy situations. Oddly enough, it was these same hairy situations that reunited Vyse with she and Fina.

Aika and Fina had picked up a tip that a legendary treasure was buried deep within a cave on an uncharted isle not far from Nassarad. By a stroke of luck, Vyse and Gilder had picked up the same tip. Both parties ran into each other in the treasure room. While Aika was overjoyed that she had found Vyse again, the same couldn't be said about the treasure. The only thing in the chest was a note. It had something to do with friendship being the real treasure in life...but she was really looking forward to getting her hands on some gold.

However, Vyse had good news. That island he had crash landed on was the perfect place to set up a new base of operations for the Blue Rogues. The crescent moon shaped isle, Crescent Isle. What used to be a deserted jungle island was now their home, her home.


	5. Chapter 5

A Friend In A Low Place 

Chapter 5

More tired and hungry than before, Jack lead Piastol to the pawn shop. Nothing allowed him a chance to escape to his amazement. He could go into an unknown tavern, sweep a few girls off their feet, and find an exit before any of the men knew what had happened. But this "Angel of Death" was more frightening than any angry boyfriend he could imagine. At the same time though, Jack realized she was one of the better looking women he'd ever met. Perhaps it wasn't really her looks, though. What he did know was that she was definitely different. So much so that he would look back and tell her how close they were every now and then, just to glance at her face. Jack had seen plenty of beautiful women, but he couldn't really put a finger on what was different about her. Her voice wasn't nearly as feminine as all of the others... It sounded kinda hoarse at times, but he figured that had more to do with her line of work than anything else. Her hair was weird too. Three crimson blue pony tails lined the back of her otherwise snow white hair.

If not her looks, and if not her voice, then maybe it was simply the air about her. No one apparently knew anything more about the "Angel of Death" other than the fact that she was a damned good bounty hunter. At least that was what was commonly spoke of. So maybe it was the mystery behind this woman that found itself being the subject of his imagination.

Once they reached the shop, Jack realized that he was going to need to be alone to even get in. He had to convince Piastol to untie his hands and wait somewhere nearby, but she wouldn't have it. After explaining the procedure carefully to her, Piastol decided to wait on the roof above the door. There she could still keep a clear view of him, and be able to get in without any trouble. Jack knocked on the door three times, waited a couple seconds, then knocked another two times. A couple more seconds went by, and Jack knocked once. It was a secret pattern of knocks for anyone who wanted to sell merchandise that wasn't exactly...legal.

Immediately the eye piece of the door slid open. "Jack," came the unexpectedly excited voice from the other side. "How the hell are ya buddy?" Jack felt extremely guilty now. He was putting an old friend's life in danger, just to possibly save his own. "Hey, uh, you wouldn't happen to have any of the uh...merchandise I sold you recently would ya Johny?" Johny looked around through his peek hole, then said, "Why do you wanna know?" On the inside Jack was feeling horrible. He couldn't think of any possibly good excuse."Uh, well, someone offered to buy something for, uh...more?" Piastol could tell that this wasn't going anywhere any time soon. If anything, Jack was just making the man more suspicious. She leapt down from her perch, landed on the ground beside a flustered Jack, then sliced her blade through the door in many places. Neither of the two men knew it was possible to cut a door open in such a way. Piastol's swipes were perfectly executed. The door fell to pieces on the ground, revealing Johny standing there in the doorway in his night robe. Piastol put her blade to Johny's neck, forcing him to fall back on the ground. "Why don't you show me your wares?" A few minutes later and all the items still around that Jack had sold to the shop were scattered over the counter. Most of it was gold, which was presumably the same color as the heirloom. It still bugged Piastol that that was the only detail she was given.

Johny wasn't willing to die just to protect his merchandise, so he said,"Just take it..." Piastol looked to him with an agitated look on her face and said, "I'm not interested in your trin...kets..." She didn't exactly have money, and anything was better than nothing. Piastol had never imagined herself resorting to common robbery. Again, she had to reason that it wasn't exactly a step down from bounty hunting.  
Jack was starting to get fed up, dying wasn't sounding like such a bad idea now. He didn't like keeping his mouth shut around people who needed to be given a talking to. After a while, he couldn't keep himself from speaking any longer.

"Ya know Angel, you could be really cute if you weren't being such a bitch..." Jack woke up after a while and realized his nose was bleeding. He picked himself up out of the glass that had once been a mirrior on the wall. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Once all of his senses returned, he heard the last words his friend would ever make. "Ahhhhhh, I'll kill you!"..slice... Johny's head rolled over next to Jack. It wasn't until now that he was completely aware just how bad of a situation he was in. He'd never really been close to the person whose head was now on the floor, but he was close enough to call him a friend.

Piastol glared at Jack with her penetrating eyes. Wiping her blade off with a cloth, Piastol said calmly, "Now you know your place, and I'm not going to hesitate to kill you too if you don't do as I tell you. I'm sure one of these items is the heirloom, and I've already got blood on me now. It's your call really, live or die."  
Jack was still horrified by the look on his dead friend's face, and so was not too willing to join him in his fate. Among the items were pocket watches, rings, jewels, bracelets, ear rings, golden objects, and other sorts of items of that nature.

"I've gotta admit, when it comes to stealing, you know what to take." Jack didn't know how to respond to this, so he just kept quiet for the time being. He was in a state of only talking unless if he was asked a question first.

"Is any of this refreshing your memory, or do I have to make you remember?" Jack could only nod.  
"Good, now which one is the heirloom?"

After a moment, Jack said,"Any of these items could be an heirloom if you think about it, they're all yellow ya know. So...why don't you just take them all?"

This surprisingly sounded like a good idea. Piastol almost felt embarrassed for not thinking of this herself. She even helped herself to the money sack on Johny's corpse. By this point Jack was cleaning up his bloodied nose with another rag that just happened to be a curtain.

"You're a disgusting pig," Piastol shot at him.

Knowing to keep his mouth shut, Jack only shrugged. She sure had a weird mind set. After all, she was just the person cutting someone's head off... Looking in what was left of the broken mirror that oddly hung on the wall now, Jack could see that his nose wasn't in such bad shape, although his forehead was pretty red.


	6. Chapter 6

In Need of Help 

Chapter 6

Back into the alleys again, Jack was getting fed up. This whole thing was really starting to weigh heavy on his mind. Being attacked at the back of the tavern, being chased for an hour all through the city, and now he was being forced to do some crazy bounty hunter's biddings. She was good looking, but she was crazy.

Odds were that if he continued to follow her orders, he would find himself on an executioner's block, or he would spend the rest of his life in a Valuan prison cell. Those odds didn't sound too good either way. However, if he could untie himself again and take the scythe from her, he would have a chance to overpower her and escape.

Jack worked frantically in his mind to come up with a plan to do such a thing, but his thoughts were disrupted by the occasional jab to the back, or a whack on the head. Just as he thought he was on to something, his mind would go into chaos. Either she knew what he was thinking, or she liked torturing her victims before finishing them. It was about the tenth time since they had left the shop that Piastol prodded him in the back with her scythe when Jack had finally had it. Something snapped inside of him. Fear was no longer a concern. Her blade didn't intimidate him anymore. That scythe wasn't that sharp, and he knew he could dodge it. Adrenalin pumped through his veins.

The rope that tied his hands together was poorly tied around his wrists. Another big mistake was to tie them in front of him where she couldn't see him working his hands free. For such a well known and feared bounty hunter, she sure was making an awful lot of mistakes. "I should be known as Jack The Escape-Artist," he thought.

Finally, Jack turned around suddenly, pointed to her right with his left index finger and said, "Whoa, what's that?!"

Piastol completely fell for this ploy. Her lack of sleep and hunger had hindered her judgment dramatically. Looking to her right and then back suddenly realizing what an idiot she was, Piastol's face met with a hard left hook to the jaw. The cheap punch knocked her to the ground, making her drop her scythe in the process. Her weapon was the only thing at this point that was keeping him in check, or at least it had been.

Jack jumped on top of her and tried to keep her down, but Piastol was quick to kick him over. She kept up the momentum and landed on top of Jack, swinging her fists rapidly. Jack picked her up with his sheer strength and threw her against a wall. Once again Piastol was throwing punches and a swift kick or two his way.

It was apparent that they were both tired to begin with. Trading punches, Jack was the first to show blood; a good hit to his nose started a fresh flow of it down onto his upper lip again. Directly after, a punch landed on Piastol's lip, which then began to bleed down her chin.

By the time they were done, both were sweating hard. Piastol was desperate now, she needed to kill him. Feigning defeat, Piastol raised her hands in a surrendering manner, eyes pleading him to stop.

This sudden change of attitude, no matter how logical it would have been for her's to change so, didn't fool Jack. "_It's a trick_," his mind warned him repeatedly. He couldn't have agreed more with his conscience at that moment, but his lack of desire to hurt anyone with such an innocent face like _that_, held him back.

Just as Jack lowered his guard, she dove after her scythe lying on the ground next to him as quick as she could. Jack, while being as exhausted as he was, still had enough energy to stop her. Using the last of his built up frustration and anger to attack with, he reared his fist back and delivered a final blow. Piastol took a few staggering steps back from the fist that had just impacted with her face. The affect sent her into an almost crazed state. Barely keeping her balance, she managed to step back and lean up against one of the alley walls. Both had become badly bruised from the scrap, although it was clear that Piastol had taken the larger beating.

Jack didn't know what to do now. She wasn't putting up a fight anymore; however, she also wasn't on the ground unconscious like he'd envisioned the attack ending. Jack himself detested the idea of killing someone, let alone beating up women. By the looks of it, Piastol wasn't going to be doing any killing for a while anyway.

In his mind, he had three options. One, he could run, and then he'd be in the same boat he was in now sometime tomorrow. Two, he could kill her, if he really wanted to. Or three, he could improvise.

Piastol's legs finally gave in and she sunk down into a more or less sitting position against the wall. Suddenly, Jack became aware of a slight giggle. The giggle became a little louder, and after a few seconds became a full out laugh.

While still laughing, Piastol started rambling, "This...this is just...just perfect. How pathe...pathetic am I? Can't...can't even...handle a...a simple job like...like this anymore. _Ohhhh_, what's happened to me?"  
After a minute or two of incoherent mutterings of self pity, Piastol calmed down.

Picking up the scythe, Jack sat down against the opposite wall in the alleyway. He didn't want to kill her, but he didn't trust that she was completely unable to fight anymore. For such a light person, she carried a very heavy weapon. Surveying the deadly weapon's features now without the threat of it cutting his head off, it finally hit him. Piastol, "_The Angel of Death_," was the only known bounty hunter to carry a Scythe as their signature weapon. Jack smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "So...that's what my feeling was all about," he said to himself. "Looks like I figured it out a little late, but at least now it won't bug me"

Soon, Piastol snapped out of her daze. She was too battered to fight back now, but for some reason, she was still alive. He was too spineless to finish her off she imagined.

Looking at Jack, who was nearly equally battered, she said,"If you don't kill me, you _will_ regret it."

Jack didn't buy it. Even though he was a womanizer, and even though he was a thief, he was still a good person. After a minute of awkward silence, Jack made up his mind on what he wanted to say and said, "I took an oath a long time ago. Yeah, I'm a sucker for a pretty face, and sure, I usually steal from it...but I never said what all I did with the gold. Yeah, I eat, but you know a lot of that stuff is worth more than a meal or two. I give most of it to people in need. After all, I'm a Blue Rogue."

Listening to the words slide off of Jack's lips, Piastol's stare hardened. "Blue Rogue? Black Pirate? There is no difference. You are thieves all the same." If this defeat wasn't motivation enough, once she healed up, she would kill the pirate.

Astonished at her ignorance, Jack said after a time, "...and you've been a bounty hunter for how long?"

"Save it, there's nothing you're going to say that will convince me otherwise that you're just a bunch of lowly pirates."

"So much for that," he thought. It was all a big lie. Jack was no Blue Rogue, but he was sure that if she thought so, she might see him in a new light. Another thing thieves were good at was lying, and sometimes a lie was better than any weapon. This wasn't one of those times however. For some reason, she seemed to deflect all of his best tricks, despite how careless she was seemed otherwise. If anything, he'd just made this harder on himself.

Even after sparing her life, Jack was still getting an attitude from her. He had to wonder why she seemed to hate so many people. As Jack was about to ask, his stomach started rumbling; at least he thought it was his. He was definitely hungry, but the sound was coming from Piastol. Her head slumped down to hide the embarrassment. Piastol felt hopeless now.

Jack was the first to break the silence that ensued. Having just kicked the fabled "Angel of Death's" arse, Jack was feeling fairly cocky.

"I'm going to take you to dinner."

Piastol looked up from her sulking with a bewildered look on her face. "Wha?...what? You've got to be joking..."

Jack just grinned cockily and said,"I wouldn't lie to a lost little girl who needed my help, so why would I be joking with you?"

Still holding her scythe, Jack got back on his feet, walked over to Piastol rather calmly, and extended his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she reached up to take his hand, but Jack was quick to pull it away. Switching hands, Jack extended Piastol's scythe back to her. Piastol was amazed.

"What makes you think you can trust me?"

"What do I have to fear from a lost little girl who needs my help?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A Night in Lower City**

Chapter 7

It was silent this time of night in Lower City. Either you were sleeping on a pile of garbage, or you were lucky enough to have an uncomfortable make-shift bed to lie on. All the lights were out now, if you had them that is. Everything was dark and quiet, except for the taverns. The drunks and all the other patrons of the evening were being cleared out now.

Just as one such tavern was closing up for the night, in stumbled Jack with Piastol; her arm around his shoulder to keep her on her feet. The bartender might have turned them away if he didn't notice the rather plump money sack they carried with them. As they made their way to a seat, the bartender brought out a couple mugs of beer to start them off. He hoped it wouldn't be the only thing they wanted.

Jack hunched over by the table in the corner of the room to ease Piastol into a seat. Still filled with pride even after her defeat, Piastol pushed herself away from Jack, staggered backwards a couple steps, and then caught herself on a chair behind her. Making nothing of it, she carefully sat herself down in the seat, using her scythe for support. Piastol leaned the scythe against the wall behind her. It was a pretty big and annoying weapon to carry around, but that just made it all the more deadly. She turned to face Jack presently. He had already sat down resting his head on his palm, but wasn't looking at her.

Instead, Jack was looking around the room. A skill he had picked up over time was to look for every possible escape route before he was even in danger. All thieves knew how to disappear in any situation. Sometimes it was better to create the illusion that he had left, than actually to leave. He didn't have to leave the room to avoid a fight. You could call this being a coward, but who is the bigger fool: A man hiding for dear life in a crate, or the attacker that wants to kill him running on by without a second thought?

Jack wasn't planning to run, though. The tavern wasn't new to him, so instead of looking for hiding places or exits, he found himself taking the room in for a change. The tavern itself was nothing spectacular, but Jack had to admit it was pretty classy considering their location. Everything was furnished with wood from floor to ceiling, except for one thing.

In the center of the tavern was a brick fire place. Jack could only imagine that it was still used to heat up the gruel which had been accustomed as a delicatessen of the Lower Valuan taverns. It was best not to ask what it was you were eating, but instead to be thankful that you could fill your stomach around here.

The candles that were hung down from the ceiling on wooden chandeliers lit the room fairly well. Most of them had already burnt out by now, so one really couldn't get a full idea of what the room was like earlier that evening. Jack concluded to himself that this was nothing more than the average tavern of Valua. Finally he looked back at his...acquaintance.

Piastol had picked up on the idea of studying the room, but was easily caught off guard by his gaze. It didn't intimidate her in the least, if that was what he was trying to accomplish. She picked up her mug that had just arrived and took a large gulp. It wasn't very womanly, but then again, nothing she did ever was.

This Jack fellow had spared her life when he had his chance for freedom yet again, but still, here they were. He had absolutely no idea just how lucky he was. Piastol was certain that his good fortune was merely a fluke. Had she not been so fatigued and hungry, he wouldn't have gotten so many lucky punches, she assured herself.

The tender took it upon himself to bring out the burnt and possibly stale bread that was left to the table. Considering the location, burnt and stale foods were pretty common; another very big sign that you weren't in Upper City anymore.

"It's on the house," he said assuring them both.

He could tell by the looks on their faces that this could still be a very profitable night. He was then convinced of his theory when Piastol took a large bite out of the bread without a moment's hesitation. They were starving, and would obviously want more, so he went to the back to find whatever else he could still serve.

The food was terrible, but Jack didn't complain any. It wasn't often that he could eat normal food. After all, he had lived in Lower City for years. For every bite he took though, Piastol was five ahead.

"That's not very lady like," he said smugly.

"That's because I'm not a lady," she managed to say between taking another bite.

After a few rounds, Jack was beginning to feel relaxed. The mixture of alcohol with fatigue only amplified its' effects on his mind. Questions he wouldn't soberly ask found their way off his tongue and through his lips.

"So Angel...why did you, uhhhh, ummm, become a...a bounty hunter anyway?"

While Jack was still capable of at least some rational thought, the same could not be said for Piastol. She had drunk way more than she should have. Whether she had heard the question, and if she was attempting to answer it, Jack didn't know, but her response wasn't a disappointment.

"_Pirates_..." she began as she stared off into space, "those _bastards__…all _ofthem... I will kill _all _of them..." Her eyes squinted as if concentrating heavily," They should have killed me_ too_."

Her last utterance intrigued Jack. He didn't need to listen to anymore of her aimless rambling any longer to know what it all meant. It was as if he had just solved a puzzle. From just those few words, he knew her past, her present, and what she would try in the future.


	8. Chapter 8

More Bad News 

Chapter 8

It would be dawn right now in Valua, if it were possible for the rays of the sun to pierce through the dark clouds enveloping the city of eternal darkness. For whatever reason, the yellow moon was behind this strange phenomenon, not that this bothered the Valuans one bit. It served as just another layer of protection from outsiders.

Although the blackness shrouding this yellow mooned civilization is a wonderful deterrent against its enemies, it is not necessary, for Valua is guarded exceptionally well from all sides. Mountains reaching higher than any air ship could ever sail surrounds this grand fortress empire. Not only that, but it is said that the giant fortress wall that blocks the only passage into Valua is the strongest structure built in the new world to date.

The only fools to ever challenge this colossal wall were the people of Nasr's fleet. For an entire day, cannons fired at Valua's shield from the world, but as the sun set, the Nasrean fleet was forced to make a shameful retreat. Not one Valuan ship was deployed in this battle, for there was no need.

The invincible fortress wall does not only provide defense, but also offers considerable offensive capabilities as well. As the only entrance into Valua, the wall also functions as a revolving door. One side, the perfect protection from ballistic fire, and the other, an unimaginable amount of cannons are mounted in all possible positions.

It would seem that this is the perfect new civilization, but looks can be deceiving. However, one would never get such an impression in the first place. The first thing any new sailor will notice upon entering Valua is that there is something obviously wrong. On one side of the city, it would seem as though the streets were paved with gold due to the magnificent lighting and decor. On the other though, barely a light on any street dimly illuminates this ghetto. You'd never have to ask which side was which.

In the center of this largely unbalanced society, lies the palace. Empress Teodora I, the current ruler of this empire, rules over her people with uncaring eyes. Anything and everything that can further her power over the rest of the world are her only concerns. That, and raising her son, Enrique to become a powerful Emperor when her time is over.

Normally, the Empress would not be awake at such an hour, but a matter of power was at stake. Word of the yellow moon crystal still being in Valua had found its way to the palace, and it had caused quite a stir. Admiral Alfonso took a knee before the Empress' throne, waiting to be announced.

Momentarily, a royal guard spoke up, "Admiral Alfonso of the Seventh Valuan Fleet has come with news your highness."

"Then share your news with me Admiral," Teodora spoke in her royal tongue, "I trust you do not waste my time." If his news turned out to be something that did not hold her interest, he would be demoted. No matter how noble the blood was that ran through his veins, nor the direct relation he shared with her, Teodora had grown quite tired of his incompetent behavior recently. She had even begun to relish the thought of demoting him on the spot.

With a smirk on his face, Alfonso stood up on his feet, and widened his shoulders with confidence; stroked a lock of hair back into place in a conceited manner. He knew what he had to say would no doubt guarantee a reward, if not a promotion. Just imagining what the look on Galcian's face would be like after such an event gave him the sweetest feeling of accomplishment.

"Believe me your highness," he began as his eyes squinted lightly. "I assure you that your time is well spent. A nobleman in our very own Upper City had in his possession..." Alfonso paused for effect, "…the yellow moon crystal."

The Empress gasped in a delighted surprise, "Ahhh, good work Alfonso! Then the yellow moon crystal is now safely in your possession?" Perhaps she was wrong to doubt this noble blooded Admiral. He did indeed deserve his title. Maybe even advancement in rank was in order; the thought of demoting him faded from her mind.

Alfonso had not predicted the Empress jumping to such a conclusion so quickly, and so found it hard to say, "It...It's not in my possession just yet your highness, but you have my word that it will be yours very soon."

Teodora's grasp on her scepter tightened. She had been right all along. Alfonso was a fool to bring such news without first obtaining the crystal himself. He was no longer in a position for obtaining advancement.

"Explain the situation to me carefully Admiral. Where is the moon crystal, and how do you plan to recover it?" As soon as she learned where the crystal was, she would no longer require Alfonso. A job of such importance did not belong in such a fool's clumsy hands. She knew Admiral Galcian of the First Fleet would prove to be a more capable man for the task.

Just by the tone of her voice, Alfonso knew he had made a mistake. It became very difficult to mask the expression of anger on his face. Too soon he had come looking for his reward. He had just been so close to higher honor and glory, he could taste it. Still, he would prove himself worthy soon enough.

"The crystal was stolen by a notorious thief, "Jack of Hearts," he began, "but we have nothing to fear. He does not know of its potential."

"Nothing to fear!?" the Empress reverberated. "Even if the yellow moon crystal is in the hands of a petty thief, that is still something to fear. But go on Admiral; tell me what measures you have taken to recover it."

"We have hired the greatest bounty hunter in all the land, "The Angel of Death," to track him down. She did not meet the deadline last night, but even as we speak Empress, she should be on her way back to the nobleman's home with the crystal in hand."

"The Angel of Death...," the Empress said in a bit of disgust. Despite the fact that Alfonso had just disappointed her, he may have just redeemed himself. There was no doubt that this "Angel of Death" would accomplish her mission. Ironically, one of Valua's slipperiest foes was now an ally of sorts.

Bounty hunting was never illegal, but through time, the "Angel of Death's" reputation had become too good for comfort. Letting her become any more powerful would be dangerous, so a bounty was put on her head as well. With bounty hunters always looking to claim, she had hoped "Death" would meet her own end.

Now two thorns in the Empress' side would be removed in the same day. Once the crystal was delivered, the bounty hunter would be eliminated as well as the thief. It was a genius plan in her mind, as were they all.

"Does she know what the crystal can do?"

"No Empress, she was informed that it was merely a family heirloom."

"Very good Admiral Alfonso and I trust you have your men waiting with the nobleman as well."

An eyebrow rose on Alfonso's somewhat perplexed face, "Yes Empress, they wait in my place for the crystal to be returned."

"Excellent work Admiral," she said with a wicked smile, "when the bounty hunter returns, kill her too. Now return to the nobleman, and retrieve the crystal."

Alfonso bowed in respect and proceeded as instructed. As he walked back down the long hall, he felt strangely different, as if something were amiss. He wasn't quite sure what it was for a moment, but then dismissed it in favor of thinking about his future. Higher honor and glory would be his very, very soon now.

As Alfonso left the chamber, the Empress spoke to her royal guard, "Tell Galcian I have orders for him."


	9. Chapter 9

**Risky Situations**

Chapter 9

The _Claudia_, as well as many, many more ships, waited in the Valuan airspace just outside the fortress wall for clearance into Valua. After a crewman from a passing guard ship boarded and verified that Gilder's passport was not a fake, the _Claudia_ was allowed entrance through the giant revolving door that only opened once a day.

A few months back, Gilder had a bounty on his own head, but soon Valua had bigger problems to deal with, and so it dropped down the ladder of importance until it was forgotten entirely. If only they knew that Vyse of the Blue Rogues, not to mention his partners in crime, Aika and Fina, were all hiding below deck while Gilder handled all the formalities personally.

"Heh. It was just as easy as I thought it would be," Vyse said as the group came out from hiding. Now the only thing he had to worry about was if he could really find any recruits. If they only found one person, that would still be an accomplishment to him.

"Next stop, Lower City," Gilder announced rather enthusiastically. Then again, why shouldn't he be enthusiastic? After all, this band of air pirates he had gotten in with was just the adventure he was looking for. Gilder ventured to even think that maybe one day this group would change the world.

Docked at the port in Lower City, the four disembarked from the _Claudia_, and onto the filthy streets. These slums weren't the ideal place to look for recruits, but then again, they were. Some of the Blue Rogues' most powerful allies were found in the most peculiar locations.

Fina felt sorry for every face she saw. She could see the loss of hope, and the will to better themselves in each of their eyes. It made her wish she could help them all, but like most of the Valuans, they refused to even listen to the offers being made to them. She began to lose hope that any of them would join.

Vyse and Aika were beginning to lose hope as well. None of the people wanted to hear it. Some didn't even believe it could get better than what they already had, which was essentially nothing.

Surprisingly, it was Gilder who found the first recruits. It merely took a little convincing to do the trick. He could be quite the charming guy when he wanted to be.

As one man passed by, Gilder stopped him and asked what the man did for a living. The man answered that he would work all day at the dock and then go find a place to sleep until the next day. Then Gilder asked him if he had the opportunity to make a difference in the world, and better himself, would he do it. This made the man uncomfortable and anxious to leave, but Gilder was tired of this same reaction from everyone else.

As the man turned to leave, Gilder grabbed him with both hands around the collar of his shirt so they could speak face to face and said, "Listen to me! We both know that you hate this place! What I'm offering you is to take you away from here, to help you! You can start a whole new life as a Blue Rogue! You'll have your own home with a real bed, and real food to eat, and clean water to drink! All that will be asked of you in return is to pledge your loyalty to the Blue Rogues and to help those who were in the same boat as you! Now ask yourself, "Do you really want to live the rest of your life living in this hell-hole!?""

The man broke down and shook his head no. By some miracle, those who heard the speech around them shook their heads as well. A little girl who could be no older than six quietly walked up to Gilder and tugged on his long red coat.

"Mister, will you take me and my family away from this place too?" she asked innocently.

Gilder let go of his grip on the man and looked down to the little girl, and then looked around at all the attention he was getting from the crowd of people. He was finally getting through to them. Gilder looked back at Vyse with a cocky grin and then looked back down to the girl again.

Picking the little girl up, and setting her on his shoulder, Gilder turned his attention to the crowd and announced, "Yes! If you truly want to leave this place and start a new life as a Blue Rogue, then say I!"

Gilders words were followed by an astoundingly positive response, and as the crowd cheered, he looked back to Vyse with a look as if to say, "Told ya I have a way with the ladies."

Vyse was pleased with his friends' accomplishment, but something caught his eye in the background. Using his skyseer goggles, he zoomed in on the person that was cause for concern. Even if he only caught a glimpse of the person, he still knew without a doubt who it was. Whatever this person was doing in Lower City, he couldn't imagine it didn't have something to do with murdering someone.

Looking to Aika, Vyse said, "I have some unfinished business to take care of. You can handle things from here." Leaving it at that, he rushed off after the familiar face.

The sensation of returning to reality opened Piastol's eye. Her head was resting comfortably on a pillow in a room on the second floor of a tavern. It was mid day, judging by the sounds coming from below. With the one eye that wasn't deeply resting in the pillow, she looked at the window for any signs of sunlight, but it was useless.

"Valua..." she murmured through the fabric. Slowly, she lifted her head up to look around the room. Her blade had been carefully rested against the wall near the door. Her boots were on the floor facing the bed with that same amount of meticulousness to them.

Presently, she checked to see if any other articles of clothing had been removed. She was relieved to find that nothing was amiss. Her gear was light and simple, and while it did not offer too much protection, it did grant her a high level of maneuverability, which was perfect for her line of work. Then it hit her.  
"The bounty!" she cried out loud as the memory flooded back.

Jumping out of the bed, she raced to put her boots back on, and grabbed her scythe as she ran through the door. Down the steps she flew, nearly tripping a time or two along the way. Piastol might have just been waking up still, but she felt completely rejuvenated. She didn't have time to enjoy it, though; she was enraged by the fact she had let Jack slip through her fingers yet again.

Once she reached the bar, her presence was known by everyone that saw the scythe. Her demeanor, the look in her eyes, it was all they needed to see. They knew the "Angel of Death" was in the room.

She approached the bartender with only one question in mind. However, she was cut off by a large man who didn't seem to notice her; or didn't care. He would be given one chance to live. Either he would take it, or he would meet his end.

"Get out of the way..." she said trying to keep her cool.

The large man turned around to smack the wench that had dared order him around after a long day of working at the docks, but his eyes never got the chance to see her. As soon as he had begun to swing his arm around, his head was falling to the floor. The corpse fell over a moment after, creating a bloody mess for all to see.

Piastol walked calmly through the blood to the bartender, assured that no one else would be stupid enough to make the same mistake, and asked slowly and precisely, "Where...did...he...go?"

It was no more of a question really, than an invitation to join the last man who didn't listen to her. Actually, she considered it more of a dare than anything. She didn't really need to ask, because the bartender already knew what the question was, and if he didn't spill his guts, she would.

The tender answered directly everything he knew, "He left about a couple of hours ago. He paid for your room and the food, then left. That's all I know, I swear."

Her eyes narrowed on the man behind the bar. He wasn't lying, but he hadn't helped very much either. The sudden urge to kill him too entered her mind, but then she would be viewed as a murderer, which she wasn't...exactly. Besides, it only took one death to capture the attention of an entire room. Any more deaths and they might react. A curious thing it is; the nature of man.

Balancing her scythe on her shoulder so that the blade faced behind her, she turned around and calmly exited the tavern. No one stood the way of her path to the door. One man who anxiously moved aside might have even offered to open the door for her, but was too afraid of the idea that she would view him as _in the way_ again to try.

"Jack of Hearts," a name for notoriousness, as all famous names in Arcadia start, is a strangely misleading name to say the least. Most think it means that Jack is a great lover of sorts. Others believe it has to do with Jack's uncanny ability to win at almost every card game he plays, or that he is extremely lucky. Whatever it means, a name is just a name. It's what you do to deserve that name that really matters.

Back on his feet again, Jack was feeling very pleased with himself. He had escaped death twice in one night, and was very proud of that fact. Perhaps he was even feeling a sense of invincibility.

Tossing the money sack up in the air a few times, he looked around the market of Lower City that could be even be considered "Middle City" as compared to how bad the streets were farther back. Jack was feeling cocky now, and wanted to test to see just how invincible he really was. So, with confident eyes, he looked for a potential target.

They found their way to a fruit vendor behind a cart of fruit that didn't look half bad. Jack strolled up to the cart to have a closer look, then looked up to the man in front of him with wandering eyes. Cocking his head to the side and squinting, Jack looked past the man's head.

The vendor, obviously curious as to what Jack was looking at, turned around to have a quick look at what had drawn his attention. After finding nothing but a brick wall only a few feet behind him, the vendor turned back to face Jack. His potential customer was long gone though, as well as a large dent in the pile of fruit on his cart.

It wasn't really a test of Jack's invincibility, he was just hungry. He wouldn't really insult his ability with such a simple trial. Jack was going to start big, and everything was big in Upper City. To be big, though, he needed to look big, and his mangy old clothes wouldn't cut it.


	10. Chapter 10

**An Upper Crust Man******

Chapter 10

Jack had always stood out from the crowd in Upper City, if not for of his appearance, then for his personality. There was no place else in the entire world that he was as truly noted by the people for his character as they did here. He doubted that there was anyone else in existence that really appreciated the experience of living in this city as much as him. Of course, he didn't actually live there.

A person of his previous stature could not possibly have dreamt of being as rich as, let alone owning a home as extravagant as the people in such a place. However, Jack always knew he was _not_ just another poor soul that was destined to live a life of mediocrity. Last night had proved that, and tonight he would really prove just how right he was.He still didn't look the part of an _upper city_ man though, not that he was worried. One great thing about the people in this metropolis was their general lack of security, not to mention their lack of concern for missing belongings and or merchandise. Any Nobleman or Lady had plenty of money to throw around, and so if something went missing, they would simply buy another of whatever item had been misplaced, regardless of whether or not if it was stolen. These people were so well pampered that words like "robbery" and "crime" were practically foreign to them; quite literally the opposite of the people on the other end of Valua.

Within an hour, Jack managed to assemble himself a rather fancy outfit. Well, while "assemble" was a fine enough word for it, he preferred "_stolen_." It wasn't the first time he'd done such a thing. Actually, it was how Jack got all of his clothing…and food…and money. Suffice it to say that he wasn't in the least ashamed of his skills.Back in an alley (and hopefully for the last time), Jack finished kicking his old gear into a gutter behind him while he put on a fancy hat to complete the suit. He wore a dark blue vest with gold trim over a fancy pearl white shirt that matched his pants. As a first, he wore a dark blue sash around his waist that seemed to go well with his vest. Another first was a pair of extravagant pearl white leather gloves that were not at all feminine to look at. To finish it off, he donned a pair of bright brown leather boots that put his old dirty smudge stained pair to shame.He looked like one of them again, now more than ever before. It gave him the confidence he needed to try something crazy. The parties thrown in Upper City were said to be the most spectacular events in all of Arcadia. Of course, getting into any one of these parties was the hard part. He had to be of nobility to get into one, but perhaps, if he looked noble enough, which he certainly did now, he might just be able to walk right through the door without question.

Luckily, finding one wouldn't be a problem. From the mansions on the streets, to the yachts docked at the harbor, you couldn't go far without running into an Upper City party. It would no doubt be the easiest part. Who was he kidding, though? It would all be easy.If there was any problem he had, it was choosing which party to go to, but the streets were practically filled with party goers. All he had to do was go with the flow of the people walking the streets, and he soon found himself in a line just outside of a large ship party as well as in the company of many couples and singles eager to share their thoughts.

Mingling in with them, he caught the eye of a relatively young woman. Jack's eyes met with hers as they were both looking each other over. She looked to be in her early twenties. It was also noted that she was standing close to yet another young noble; a male, though it was hard to tell that at first glance. The young woman, realizing she had been caught looking him over, turned her attention to the lights coming from the harbor in an attempt to act innocent. She would most definitely be used in a plan that was quickly forming in his head. However, his plan didn't have time to develop. His thoughts were interrupted by a distracting question.

"Where did you get that ridiculously awful looking hat?" the young nobleman accompanying the young woman Jack had just been thinking about, who was not a day over twenty, asked with a snicker. His insult had quite a few younger ladies giggling in Jack's direction. The young woman, who had been watching him before, turned her attention back to Jack again, curious of his reaction.

Jack slowly grabbed the top of the hat and took it off his head. Holding it out in front of himself, he studied the top as if he were just seeing it for the first time. It really wasn't a great looking hat he had to admit, although it certainly looked expensive. Perhaps he had gone a little too over the top with his new outfit. Jack smiled and had a laugh of his own at the _clever_ nobleman's joke. "You're right you know. It _is _pretty terrible to look at isn't it? I don't wear it for looks so much as it is for comfort. It's light as a feather and fits very snugly around my head. You'd actually forget you're wearing it if you put it on," he finished what seemed to be a strange tangent.

Gesturing for the nobleman to see, he said, "Here, have a look at the fabric on the inside to see what I mean."He handed it over to the gentleman who was baffled that Jack did not feel insulted in the least by his cruel words. Confused, the man flipped it over to look at the inside. After finding nothing spectacular about the inside, he looked back up at Jack.

"There's nothing special I see here. Clearly you've made quite the fashion mistake," the nobleman said trying harder to get under Jack's skin. The younger girls giggled again at his blunt rudeness. Again, the young woman kept her eyes on Jack.

"Perhaps if you put it on you would understand why I like it so much. I have a very good suspicion that you'll agree with me if you do."The man, who clearly was desperately trying now to get Jack to crack, put it on and smiled at the young women with an exaggerated expression on his face as if that were the way Jack had looked with it on which got another laugh out of the girls whose attention he'd managed to capture.

The young woman, the nobleman's _date_, didn't seem too thrilled by the lack of attention she was receiving. In fact, it had become quite obvious that she was thoroughly annoyed by him. To Jack, it seemed as if she were on the verge of leaving him there and now. This showed to be true when she attempted to say something to her date and was ignored; frustration and jealousy for the other girls he was entertaining flamed in her eyes.

Jack wasn't paying attention to the ridiculous gestures the nobleman was making. Stroking at his chin with a couple fingers while studying the hat on the man's head, Jack was finally convinced that it really did look rather stupid. He should get rid of it."Comfy isn't it?" Jack asked cockily.The nobleman, sensing that Jack was about to make a comeback, quickly thought up another insult to counter whatever Jack was about to say. "Yes, well, when you can't afford the finer things in life, I suppose this would seem _comfy_ as you put it."

Ignoring the gentleman's last comment, he continued, but not before giving the young woman a wink. "You're right, it does look ridiculous," Jack said, just before sucker punching the imbecile in the stomach. The nobleman fell to his knees and gasped for the air to return that had just so suddenly escaped his lungs.

Jack bent down to grab the hat, but then thought better of it. "I'm glad you brought this fashion mistake to my attention. I wouldn't want to go to the party and make a fool of myself now would I?"

Beginning to turn and walk off, he stopped halfway and looked back then said, "You should keep that hat by the way, it matches your personality."

He then turned his attention over to the young woman and held out his arm. The young woman looked down at her date, then back up to Jack. Jack was no Knight in shining armor, but he was certainly a much more interesting person than her date gasping for air down on the ground beside them. Smiling, she put her arm through the crook of his, and the two walked up the ramp to the party together.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Show**

Chapter 11

In the magnificent lighting of the streets in Upper City, Jack was dancing gleefully along as he bid other men and children he saw a good evening, and gave the women a sly smile accompanied with a wink. Never before had Jack been in such good spirits. He truly believed he was invincible, and because of that, Jack didn't have a care in the world. Now he could simply enjoy himself, and explore not only the city, but anywhere he wanted without fear or failure.

As he moved merrily along a walkway in the midst of the people, he caught site out of the corner of his happy-go-lucky gaze none other than Piastol; her large scythe resting on her shoulder gave her away. Jack didn't mind one bit though, he owed her thanks for showing him his real potential after all. So he allowed her to come closer by pretending he had not seen her, knowing full and well what was about to transpire.

Her speed increased when their eyes met for that fleeting moment. Jack knew she was coming now, so there was no need to use stealth. Piastol brought her scythe to the ready as her walk became something just less than a jog. She would have loved to have been moving faster, but the carefree people of the city that surrounded her didn't seem to notice the menacing look in her eyes, and so it was hard to maneuver around them.

When Jack did not match her change in pace, she didn't know what to think. Had his idiotic brain not registered what his eyes had just seen? She might have had time to cool off a little after a day of searching for him again, but her rage quickly returned due to his arrogance.

Soon her patience was brought to its limits. Two men who had not seen each other for some time stopped to have a chat right in front of her; blocking her view of Jack. The crowd of people near her general vicinity became aware of the danger Piastol represented when she knocked one of the men over after she had used his back for a step and leapt high above them all.

With people frantically trying to get cleared out of the way as she landed, Piastol's pace became a sprint, and when she was in close enough range, using yet another person who was too slow to get out of her way, she leapt high into the air again with her scythe raised eagerly above her head.

With all of her might, she would unleash the most deadly attack on Jack she could possibly manage from up in the air. He would now have the honor of dying by her hand while she was at her _maximum_. She would not make the mistake of talking this time. She would quickly finish him off like the lowly pirate he was.

Strangely, time slowed for Jack. The movement of the crowd in front of him nearly came to a standstill. Their voices could no longer be heard, though their lips were moving. Even the light breeze that he was mildly aware of in the wind went soundless. Everything had suddenly gone into a frozen mute. Everything that is, except for Jack.

Turning to face her again, Jack was amazed. There, floating in the air above him was Piastol. He could see the pupils in her eyes dilating ever so slowly with anticipation, the wicked smile of triumph creeping across her face, the muscles in her body tensing in preparation for a kill. Was this what one experiences before they die?

As he stood there watching his bringer of death above him, he then became aware of a faint symphonic melody that sounded like it was coming from a great distance. Jack had never been that fond of music, and it didn't seem as though he were going to get a chance to acquire a taste for it now at the moment, but this was different. It was...beautiful. Although it had only just begun, Jack was in love with it.

For some reason, he felt completely natural in this moment, and then an instance of realization came to him. Jack wasn't about to die at all. This was _his_ moment, not hers. Jack had only begun to realize his true potential.

With this epiphany, the music, wherever it was coming from, grew louder. It gave him a rush, inspiring him even more. He welcomed the opportunity to show off his new found power to the onlookers in the city, and with a blink of the eyes, time flowed naturally again.

As the first swipe neared his face, Jack effortlessly stepped back to one side, just far enough that he had time to glance at his reflection cockily grinning back at him in the steel blue metal. It amazed Piastol that he could have possibly gotten away from such a quick attack, but his stupidity in just standing still there would be his last mistake. His unbelievable luck was no match for her pure speed and skill. With fluid motion, she spun her next strike into a horizontal swing right for his chest. It would be a messier kill than usual, but she saw no possible way he would have the time to dodge it.

Impressed at no matter what level of exertion she put into her movements, Jack always seemed to be leading her. Again, with very little effort, he stepped back just far enough out of her reach that he had time to taunt her once more. As the very edge of her blade came round, Jack playfully let two of his fingers dance along the metal as it went by.

Piastol couldn't believe that _anyone_ would have the gull to toy with "The Angle of Death." Gritting her teeth at his jokes, she struck again and again at two diagonal angles. He would not make a fool of her again this day.

Letting his arms float freely in the air, he twisted and turned his way around the attacks like he was dancing back in the ballroom of the Upper City party again. It was the same old story with her. She was just another _girl_ with a flaring temper. The only difference was that she had a big weapon to express her feelings. Jack had been in this same situation a million times. Well, not _exactly_ the same situation as this he chuckled. Jack was sure even that small laugh had to add fuel to her growing fire.

"The Angel has come for you_ "Jack of Hearts_!" You're only prolonging your own death!" He was obviously not afraid of her anymore, which was one of her greatest weapons. Shaking his confidence even in the least would win her this fight.

Jack rolled his eyes at her before ducking under another attack from her scythe. "Come on Angel, I've heard better threats from ex-girlfriends," he teased. Her response was yet another angry strike aimed at his neck. That one had almost given him a new haircut.

"_Maybe if we danced together…,"_ he thought.

A crowd of people had amassed around them as the two fought. One Lady commented on how wonderfully elaborate the entertainment was becoming in the city recently. The Valuans applauded appropriately with each successful dodge and countering quip that was made, and were very impressed when the male actor took the female actor by the hand and began twirling her around in the street.


	12. Chapter 12

**Collision**

Chapter 12

Vyse didn't like the idea of coming to Upper City because he detested how arrogant the people there were. They spent their days worrying about which fancy restaurant to eat at while the Lower Valuans starved. Seeing it first hand only made it worse.

They weren't really bad people though, he had to admit. To put it simply, they just lived in an entirely different world from everyone else. He pitied the fact that their arrogance was just ignorance in disguise. Had these men and women of nobility been born elsewhere, they would not lust for material wealth. They would truly _live_.

But Vyse didn't come here to think about the obvious. He was following the "Angel of Death," the misguided bounty hunter who tried to take his life not long ago. He followed a good distance behind her, not wanting to let his presence be known yet. Judging by her movements, she was hunting someone, and if he remembered right, she only "finished off" _pirates_. It was a long shot, but he might have the opportunity to save someone. Perhaps it was one of his fellow Blue Rogues, or even better, someone who would want to join them.

In the thick of the crowds, and the blinding lights of the city, Vyse lost track of her pretty quickly. The thought of just giving up and going back to the ship entered his mind, but he quickly pushed it back out. His words back aboard the Delphinas came back to him. The Blue Rogues were getting stronger every day, and the more that joined, the more they could help people, but those bigger numbers of people who could lend a helping hand would not make Vyse become lazy. He wasn't content just letting others do all the work while he sat back and watched. A fellow rogue's life was possibly at stake, and if he didn't do anything about it, it would go against everything he stood for.

Vyse decided to get a better view by going up the walkway that rose over the train station. Upper City was large, that was true, but he didn't believe a train was really necessary for getting around. Was their possibly anything more Valua could do for its pampered citizens? Still, he was thankful he could use it to his advantage.

For a minute, Vyse was almost convinced he had really lost her for good, but then a sudden change in the movement of the people below caught his attention. Using his skyseer goggles, he zoomed in on the crowd to see Piastol charging at someone.

He was too late! Vyse, still not content with just giving up, rushed as fast as he could, pushing and shoving his way around the people to catch up. Hopefully the rogue saw her coming, or he was as good as dead.

Piastol smiled as Jack hung her backward, holding her around the waist in an attempt to please his new fans. Her blade was useless against him she finally realized. He had moves, she gave him that much, but it reminded her of one of her own; a move that she preferred not to use until she felt threatened or just didn't have any other option. The night before would have been a very good time to use it, but it was truly his good fortune that she was too exhausted to perform it. So, now that she didn't have any other option, Piastol decided that this little game of _Cat and Mouse_ had gone on long enough.

Her smile and her sudden disuse of the blade baffled him, but it didn't bother Jack. She must have realized she was outclassed in this fight. He just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"Lost the will to fight, Angel?" he asked tauntingly."

"Your speed is admirable, pirate. I've decided to dance with you." With an elegant one handed back hand-spring out of his arms, Piastol gracefully landed on her feet with her hand held open-palmed out to him. What would seem to the naked eye to be an offer to continue the dance was actually the beginning of a wicked spell.

Although she was naturally aligned with the blue moon and the magic it offered her, Piastol had trained herself to utilize one of the silver moon's deadliest spells, Eternum. Success at casting the spell meant for an instant death to the victim. Accuracy wasn't a factor; it was simply a matter of will; a very fitting charm, considering her title.

"Well, since you put it that way," Jack began, "I think I should point out that I'm not actually a pirate." He would have said more as he was about to take her hand, but the sudden sight of Piastol's glowing body left him at a loss for words. However, despite this surprise, he wouldn't allow himself to worry about what would happen next. At first glance, you would just think that he was relying on his new _power_ too much, but this was more of a matter of pride. Jack never wanted to fear anything again, knowing now that it was possible to overcome anything he encountered.

Just as Piastol was about to cast the death spell, Vyse burst through the crowd and tackled her to the ground. He knew all too well what she had just tried to do, but he didn't have time to think of a better plan of attack. She was more than a match for the both of them, so they would have to escape.

Getting up quickly, he looked at Jack and said, "Let's run for it!"

Run? The invincible "Jack of Hearts," run? This newcomer that was trying to steal his show away was obviously confused. Jack wasn't about to go anywhere, he was having the time of his life, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"Thanks for the help friend, but I have things under control here," Jack said to his would-be rescuer.

"We don't have time to argue," Vyse said in a stunned reaction, "you don't know what she's capable of!"

"Who? Angel? She wouldn't hurt a fly."

Piastol took her time picking herself up as the two argued, and then looked over at the second sad pirate that had decided to come to meet his end. She was surprised to see who it was. Aside from just missing the chance to kill Jack yet again, it seemed that this was her lucky day.

Piastol spoke darkly, "This couldn't possibly get any better. I can finally avenge my family's death, and I'll be rewarded with enormous wealth in one day. This is certainly a _blue moon _occasion."

Jack had guessed it. He still surprised himself when it came to how good he was with reading people. That rambling she did back in the tavern was all he needed to figure that much out, but who was this guy that killed her family? He didn't look like a killer, and he didn't seem to be with any group of men either. Perhaps Piastol was successful enough in avenging her family by having killed this man's accomplices, and was now setting her deadly sights on the remaining one.

She then turned her attention back to Jack momentarily and said, "You pirates always do stick together it seems. What's the matter? Can't you ever fight a fair fight? ...It matters not. Jack, you're lucky you've lived this long. Because you spared my life last night, I'll grant you one last minute to live. Now I'm going to kill your _captain_. That's just like family to you pirates isn't it? …Good. Then you can watch as I murder _your_ family right before I kill you!"

_Family!?_ What the hell was she talking about? Jack was starting to get annoyed with all the pirate references she was making about him. It was like she hadn't even been listening to a word he had said.

"Time to die Vyse of the Blue Rogues," she said as she held out her hand once more.

Jack's jaw dropped. "You're Vyse!?" Suddenly the symphony in his head came to a halt. If Vyse, the famous captain of the Blue Rogues told you to run, then it probably couldn't hurt to listen. Actually, he had no doubt in his mind that it would be a good idea.

"On second thought," Jack said to Vyse as they both stared down their enemy, "you lead, I'll follow."

Vyse didn't have time to answer. Just as he was about to respond, an entire troop of Valuan soldiers had the three surrounded. They were too busy fighting amongst themselves to realize the change in the crowd around them; the onlookers only now realizing this wasn't actually a street performance.

"_Things just got better_," she thought. Piastol had been aware of soldiers approaching them, and was glad she had stalled the two pirates long enough that they were now trapped; giving her all the time in the world to cast her spell. Her plan was to deliver Vyse directly to Valua for a rather large reward, and then to kill Jack once and for all. She didn't even care if she was within walking distance of the meeting point, because all of her problems would be solved here and now. Valua would certainly pay her well for the head of the leader of their greatest enemy, _if_ none of the guards knew who she was. She could ditch her scythe, let down her hair, and claim to be someone else when she presented the bounty to the higher-ups. They'd never know the difference...pathetic Valuans.

Promptly, a soldier held his rifle to the back of Piastol's head. _"Looks like they know who I am..." _She cursed her string of bad luck.

Similarly, Jack and Vyse were faced with the barrels of Valuan guns in their faces too. Although the three each had their own unique reasons for not being inclined to surrender, none were in an advantageous position. As the three raised their hands in defeat, a large figure of a man with a well manicured beard, who looked to be getting on in his late fifties walked onto the scene; an aura of authority lingered about him. He wore a large cloak, covering his shining suit of armor.

"Alfanso had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into," Galcian said with a sneer. Alfanso would have never defeated Jack, let alone the "Angel of Death," but the third one was a surprise altogether. Why would Vyse of all people be caught up in something like this, and alone at that? Were the two men affiliated somehow? Perhaps he had just barely caught them all in time before the thief could hand the crystal over to Vyse. Fortunately for Galcian, whatever they had planned to do, it didn't matter now. With the completion of this mission, the entire world was now one step closer to his envisioning.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Second Great Escape**

Chapter 13

Although Jack was having quite a day already, he was easily distracted by something flying overhead. "A parrot?" he said to himself. "_What would a parrot be doing here_?" he wondered. He watched as it circled around and flew back behind a building. Normally, even an unlikely event such as this wouldn't distract him from something as serious as the situation he was currently in, but Jack had a thing for birds.

After hearing Jack's discovery, the look of worry disappeared from Vyse's face. Letting down his arms slowly, he said to Galcian, "Not today old man." His sudden lack of concern was not a mistake.

The soldier in front of Vyse lowered his gun slightly, his attention towards the sky. Realizing the danger he was in a little too late, the soldier turned to run, but was blown away by a random cannonball. Up above them was the _Claudia_, the barrels of her cannons poised on all the guards; save for the one still smoking.

Up on the front of the deck, arms crossed with a smirk, stood Gilder with Willy, his trusty parrot perched on his shoulder. "I could tell by the sound of your voice Vyse that you were gonna need me to save your arse _again_." With the snap of his finger, a few of the new recruits came running and tossed multiple ropes down the side of the _Claudia_.

Most of the civilians had already fled the scene when they realized they were in danger, but the rest who were curious to watch the outcome ran for cover as well. None had ever been this close to an armed ship before, let alone a pirate ship. Perhaps this was a good thing, for they had lived lives of ignorance until now. Now they would know intimately just what the reality of war was really like.

All the soldiers lowered their guns and ran to hide from another warning blast, but Galcian would not be so easily defeated. Grasping the shoulder of his cloak, he tossed it off to the side, revealing his battle armor as well as an unnaturally large sword. Bringing his weapon to an offensive stance, he yelled back at his fleeing men, "Cowards! If you will not finish the mission, I will!"

Looking back to Jack, Vyse exclaimed, "Get to the ship! I'll hold him off!"

Jack didn't need to be told twice, but his path was blocked by Piastol, with yet another spell attempt aimed right in his face; her own having a look of desperation. "What do you plan to do? Kill me? Then what? You'd never get the chance to claim your bounty. You'd be captured!"

Piastol's eye twitched. He was right...but, if she didn't kill him now, she might never get the chance again. Besides, it was too late. She had failed her mission. That young nobleman did not look like the kind of person who was willing to overlook something like this. Come to think of it, how could someone as young looking as him have a daughter? It didn't matter anymore. She was going to kill Jack now!

By the time she had processed all these thoughts, Jack was halfway up the rope. Piastol roared in anger, but her attention soon turned to Vyse. He wasn't doing very well holding the older man off. She could kill him right now while his guard was faced elsewhere, but then she'd never escape alive. If she didn't do something, none of them would get out alive, and nobody was going to finish off Vyse besides herself, nobody.

Vyse valiantly held off a heavy blow from Galcian, and was currently in a test of strength with the older man. Putting all of the might he had into his twin cutlasses, he was just barely keeping Galcian's huge blade at bay. Vyse's legs were starting to get tired, and his arms were just about to give in, but Piastol lent him a helping hand, actually, a foot.

With the heel of her boot, Piastol jumped onto Galcian's face, causing him to fall back on the ground. She landed a few feet away from them both and turned back to look at Vyse. He didn't waste a second getting back to the ship. "_Good," _she thought, as she proceeded to escape as well.

A soldier ran over to Galcian offering to help him up, but Galcian agitatedly pushed him away. "Ready my ship, and tell the guard fleet to close the gates now!" This would not be a repeat of before. Galcian was not ready to let Vyse tarnish his reputation yet again.

Jack helped Vyse up the rope and onto the deck just as the _Claudia_ pulled out of the city. It had been a while since anyone had done the opposite of trying to kill him recently, so he wanted to return the favor any way he could. Before Jack could thank him, though, Aika and Fina rushed to their captain, thanking the moons he was all right.

Gilder was busy shouting orders to the crew. He would make every second of their escape count. If what Vyse said was true, they would have to repaint the _Claudia_ due to all the scratch marks if they flew any slower than the Little Jack had. He was glad to hear his lookout report that the wall was still open, and that it did not appear to be moving; meaning the order to shut the gateway had not been received yet.

Although most of the new recruits were men, a lot of them had families too. The little girl from before wanted to help too, but Aika assured her that it was best if she stay below. Aika and Fina helped those who had no experience in battle, or anything that had to do with the operation of ships for that matter, down below deck where they would be safe.

The pirate ship made its way to the fortress wall once again. Gilder had this moment planned in his mind just in case something should happen, and it was definitely never a dull moment when Vyse was around. Leaving his first mate to handle the helm, Gilder went to the top deck so he could give his orders to everyone directly. He never really liked actually flying the ship anyway.

The lookout hollered down, "Two enemy guard vessels dead-ahead captain!"

"Two?" Gilder said to himself. "Valua is making this too easy. Are they really so full of themselves as to think that we wouldn't try something like this again?"

The first mate's words seemed to hum through the listening tube, "Orders captain?"

"You know the _Claudia_ as well as I do. We're going to charge straight through them!"

Looking down at Vyse on the main deck, Gilder said, "Hey Vyse, let's see how many ships of the armada we can ruin today! Man one of the main cannons, and show our new men what the Blue Rogues can really do!"

It was strange taking orders from Gilder, but Vyse never liked passing up a challenge. Besides, he would feel left out if he didn't do anything anyway. Strangely, as he made his way into position, the man he had just saved disappeared.

Jack was down below cowering with the rest of the men and women who couldn't help out. Repressed memories of his past experiences aboard ships came flooding back to him. It was too much for him to handle in the moment, and so he had panicked and hid himself amongst the others. Their fearful words of wonder about what was going on up above didn't help out much either.

The _Claudia_, with its intense speed, soared through the night air, just barely being missed by initial fire from the two guard ships in front of it. The main cannons in her front fired simultaneously when it got in range, with only a few actually hitting one of the targets; no doubt one well aimed shot was due to Vyse. The ship zoomed between the two cruisers without taking a single hit.

Gilder gave the order to turn around for another attack run. They couldn't let the enemy get any shots in from the rear. On most ships, an attack to the rear could destroy the engine, but it wasn't the engine he was worried about. He had not foreseen recruiting so many new rogues on the _Claudia_. Their innocent "stowaways" were located in the rear of his ship, and he'd be damned if he was going to let them get killed before they had a chance to taste freedom.

Among Gilder's crew down below were the new recruits, as well as Vyse. They weren't the best shots, but their determination to prove themselves had taken up most of the firing positions. Vyse had taken charge of commanding the shots, and lucky for him, the new rogues were determined enough to listen.

As the pirate ship closed in on the two cruisers still in the process of turning around, Vyse yelled, "Fire!" Once again in complete unison, the main cannons fired. The shot was too close to tell if they had hit anything because the _Claudia_ had flown by so fast. However, their shot was confirmed a second later by the cheering of the crew above deck.

"One down! Keep it up!" Gilder cheerfully exclaimed to nobody in particular over the listening tube as he watched the flaming cruiser sink down into the darkness of deep sky.

Through the smoke of the first downed ship came another, but it wasn't a fighting class vessel. The _Dark Revenge_, a familiar boat to Vyse's crew, zipped on by the ships as they clashed in the air with each other. Piastol had gotten very lucky to make it out unchallenged, as unworthy as her ship was for sky battle.

The _Claudia_ turned around to make what was hopefully her last attack run before escaping. Again, as she was in close enough range, Vyse yelled _fire_. Most of her shots didn't connect this time, but the cruiser was crippled enough that it had to retreat. Gilder would have been ecstatic if it wasn't for the fact that his ship had taken damage in the crossfire. Aside from slight hull damage, they seemed to have a clear path out.

Some of the recruits were celebrating early, but Vyse knew it wasn't over. Those two cruisers were merely a diversion for Galcian to get his ship up in the air he wagered. Not much longer after that deduction, Galcian's flagship was spotted off portside just before the _Claudia_ took another brutal hit.

"Someone put out that fire!" Gilder shouted in rage. They were taking considerable damage, but the gate wasn't much farther ahead. It was starting to close too, so they couldn't take the risk of turning to fire. He cursed the fact that the _Claudia_'_s_ only powerful cannons were in her front right now. Sure, it fit his up close and personal style of combat, but it wasn't doing him any good in this situation.

Jack, as well as the rest of the crew below deck, screamed in fear when the ship rocked to one side violently. _"Not again!" _he yelled aloud, not caring who heard him. Laying on the ground in a very undignified fetal position, eyes wide open to the moment, he repeated it to himself over and over again. Although he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, a parrot feather landed on his face. He grabbed it by the stem, and stared at it with the greatest amount of interest. It was a sign.

Having the fastest ship in all of Arcadia was a definite bonus when it came to getting out of hairy situations, that's why Gilder would never trade the _Claudia_ for any other in the world. Being able to pull ahead of the enemy's line of fire was saving them from the heavy side guns, but right now, Gilder could not be angrier. His beauty was a mess, and it was all thanks to those damn Valuan's.

As weaker cannon fire flew ever more dangerously closer to his ship, Gilder yelled over the listening tube again, "Take some evasive maneuvers already would ya!?" "_Jeez, don't wait on me to save all our arse's," _he thought to himself. Another shot seared across the side of his ship almost as if Galcian's crew was purposely trying to taunt him.

"Ahhh! I just had my crew put a new coat of paint on this thing!" he said as he turned around waving the back of his fist angrily at the enemy ship as if they could see him.

"I'll get you for this you damn Valuan _bastards_," he exclaimed just before ducking a frighteningly close cannonball to the face. Part of the railing on the main deck behind him exploded off the side of his ship from the impact. Shaking the terror off his face, he stood back up and pointed a finger to Galcian's flagship. "Next time! Definitely...next time."

The blinding light of day was just ahead of them, explaining why Galcian's ship hadn't obliterated them yet, but with each second gone by, the light was fading into shadow. In seconds their escape would be blocked by the revolving fortress wall. The enemy would have them.

Cannons from behind stopped firing after a moment, giving everyone on board an eerie feeling inside. Gilder's lookout yelled down that the flagship was retreating. For whatever reason, Galcian had pulled back, giving them all the time they needed to get out without having to alter their course by dodging.

With not much more time to spare than before, the mangled up _Claudia_ flew through the closing gate just seconds before it sealed. The crew celebrated the success, the passengers cheered, everyone was happy, everyone except for Gilder. Willy flew out of his hiding space from the captain's room and landed back on Gilder's shoulder, finding that the danger was over with. He swatted in a half-hearted anger at the bird, trying to stay aggravated.

After a minute, he looked over with a grin, "Chicken."


	14. Chapter 14

The Angel of Death

Chapter 14

Piastol's eyes shifted slowly, calculatingly, from one side to the other. Pirates on her left...and pirates on her right. The sounds of blades being drawn out from sheaths and the sounds of even a few hammers on pistols being cocked to the ready could be heard from behind; she was completely surrounded. Her odds of survival were minimal at present, but that was hardly a concern of hers right now, because her blade was kissing the neck of Jack of Hearts.

Jack was barely conscious, and was being held like a rag doll by the back of the collar of his new shirt. Blood flowed from where his right eye should have been, and much more from his left leg. Piastol had taken him--as well as the entire crew of the Claudia--by surprise, and without having wasted a second, attacked Jack first.

He was strangely quiet about the whole thing, though. His one good eye lacked the focus it usually did, and his breathing was slower than normal. It seemed as though he couldn't feel the pain. He wasn't in shock, nor was he too terrified to move. He was simply thinking. Yes, this was the kiss he really deserved. This was the way it was meant to be from the beginning. Luck didn't last forever after all, and it was about time his had come to an end, too.

Vyse, Gilder, Aika, and Fina were among the members of the crew surrounding the surprise attacker. Everyone had been too busy celebrating to realize they were being followed by a small ship. Luckily the attack had been halted as soon as it had started.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said one crewman a bit tauntingly. However, his words didn't seem to reach the young woman holding the helpless rogue hostage. She seemed to be lost in thought, much like the rogue whose neck was in danger of being slit. The site made the crewman's eyebrow rise. Soon everyone around the two was just as confused, but no less ready to make a move if they had to.

This was the grand finale Piastol had worked so hard to get to. She'd trailed a single person for weeks, chased him for hours, had caught him, fought him then lost him again all in the same evening, and as if that weren't enough, had done it all over again the next day. Every test of endurance, all the trial and error had summed up to this moment. She savored the satisfaction in having defeated him finally, and even more so enjoyed the tension she was creating for these filthy pirates surrounding her. They were so…happy…like the characters in a story that had a happy ending. That is, they were until now. No, the story wasn't quite as over as they had thought it to be. A dark smile slowly formed for the pirates surrounding her to see. She wanted them to see she was the one who was happy now.

"So Jack, how does it feel?" she asked sweetly into his ear. Her voice was barely above a whisper, just loud enough that Jack could hear. It was time for a little payback. Her lips caressed the lobe of his ear now. "Lost the will to fight, Jack?"

Jack looked down at his hand. In it, he held the feather he'd found before. "No," he whispered back.

"Oh?" she prompted him to continue with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Jack didn't say anything. Despite everything, he couldn't even muster the courage to move. He was angry, sad, and…scared.

She backed her head away from his ear and spoke aloud, "That's disappointing, Jack. I really thought you'd try to put up more of a fight." She looked away from him, a depressed expression on her face. Then a thought brought back that dark smile. She'd reduced him to nothing; destroyed him.

As Gilder closed in from behind—his pistol poised on the back of Piastol's skull—Jack slumped to the ground. "He wasn't a pirate after all," she muttered to herself. She looked back at Gilder without even the slightest bit of concern in her eyes. "He'll die soon if nobody helps him." Without another word, she calmly walked between the pirates surrounding her to the side of the Claudia. Gilder lowered his gun, and following suit, everyone else began to put their weapons away as well.

"I suppose this is the part where I tell you to 'stop right there' isn't it, Angel?" Jack was sitting on the deck clenching his wounded leg, but judging from the grin on his face, he didn't seem to mind too much. Finding the strength within himself, he began to stand up. He _was_ invincible.

Piastol stopped in place. About a dozen thoughts rushed through her head all at once, and then her smile faded into a scowl as her eyes lit up as bright as the moons themselves. Her hand flew up in Jack's direction as fast as lightning, and then her eyes closed. The gasps and cries of terror were confirmation enough that she'd nailed her target. It was a bit annoying to have to kill him after all. She would have rather had him live the rest of his life a broken man for all the trouble he'd caused her.

"Oh well," she said to herself as she jumped from the Claudia back over to her own ship.

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"_It's amazing you lived through that, but…you're alright now. Please wake up soon."_

Like the light from a sunrise brings order to a pitch black world, consciousness slowly returned to Jack. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but he was aware again. With his senses slowly returning, he used them to probe his surroundings.

A pillow cradled his head, and his body was covered in a blanket. The bed he laid in was strangely comfortable, and come to think of it, the room didn't have any strange smells like the rooms in the taverns he usually stayed in. But the most peculiar thing of all his senses picked up, was that he wasn't alone. It was faint, but he could hear calm breaths being taken in, and of course being let out seconds after. They made him want to return to his slumber, but he resisted.

He resisted because his memory returned. Unconsciously, his hand rose to his face, finding an eye patch over his right eye. The image of her deadly finger pointing directly at him consumed his thoughts now. He remembered how he stood tall, his eye unwavering. Then…he couldn't remember what happened after that. In his confusion he opened his eye, and after focus returned to it, he suddenly didn't care about what had happened anymore.

A young woman slept sitting in a chair with her head resting on the side of the bed. She had blond hair and wore a white dress embroidered with symbols and marks he'd never seen before. He finally recognized her as one of the girls who had come to Vyse's side during the rescue in Valua.

Then it hit him. He wasn't on a ship anymore, so where was he now? He gingerly crawled out of the bed without waking the girl. Slipping on the pair of pants and shirt that had been graciously laid out for him at the end of the bed, he tugged on the boots at the foot of the bed and proceeded outside to take a look around. Opening the door, he was engulfed in a light he'd never seen or felt before. This was life outside of Valua.

The sun was warm and felt good on his skin. It was morning, and the island was alive and moving. As a rather large man with white hair, an eye patch, and a great big metal arm walked by, Jack stopped him and asked, "What is this place?"

"What is this place!?" the old man stopped and answered back astonished. "This be Crescent Isle, son. Everyone here knows that."

The answer took Jack by surprise. "What do you mean, 'son'?"

The old man took a good look at the man standing in front of him. "I didn't mean to imply that you were my son, boy, but I did have a son once. He'd be your age by now if he were still alive."

Jack was greatly intrigued, "How did he die?"

"Ever heard of the great arch whale, Rhacknam? That whale knocked my son overboard while we were sky fishing once."

Now Jack was ecstatic, "I was knocked off the side of a fishing ship once by Rhacknam, too!"

The old man's eye widened with surprise. "My son, he…he used to collect feathers." The old man had to hold back a tear for his next words. "As he fell into deep sky, I saw him holding on to a few like they could save his life or something."

At this point Jack could barely control the volume of his voice. "I remember I was holding onto feathers when I fell, too!"

The old man looked into Jack's eye. Jack looked into the old man's eye. They both stared long and hard at each other for a few seconds. It was as if they were both doing the math, and really taking in the results. Time had been hard on them both, and because of that, they felt a strong bond between them.

Jack broke the silence. "Well, I mean you never know. Your son could have survived, too. He may still be out there looking for you after all this time."

The old man thought about it for a second, and then said as he started to walk away, "Nah, he died. Anyway, it was good meeting you."


End file.
